Demon Cult! What is a Demon Cult!
The Demon Cult should have a certain look! It should have fire! It should have blood! Lava! Swords! It should have a chilling killing aura! It should have the imposing air of death to those who come near me!
What spring thriving, full of life, what growing vegetables and grains, with a bountiful harvest, are you the God of Land? Are you the God of Wealth?
We are the Demon Cult! We thrive on this kind of fierce and malevolent life!
"The whipping platform, is it still there?" I asked, "The giant white jade stone that was so laboriously dug out at the beginning, symbolizing the wealth and dignity of Wanlu Men, is it still there?"
"Ah, the whipping platform, two years ago Shun'an town developed tourism. Many demon cultivators came to visit Wanlu Men. The town wanted to build a building, and the mayor came to ask for the help of our head, so the head took the whipping platform and gave it to them as a cornerstone."
Ah... a cornerstone...
My goodness, I felt like I was having difficulty breathing from the pain in my heart.
"And the hanging corpse pillar?" I asked with a powerless tone, "The dark and gloomy wood of a thousand years, crafted year after year, engraved with thousands of skull heads, symbolizing the decisiveness and might of Wanlu Men, where is it?"
"Removed," Small Tabby-nosed replied innocently, "Cut and polished into small pillars, and taken to build pigsties."
Pigsties! Pigsties? Who dares to use my hanging corpse pillar to raise pigs! Let me go see! I guarantee I won't kill him! Is he not afraid that the skull heads on top will scare all the pigs to death!
"By the way, it seems like you know a lot about the appearance of our Chenshi Mountain from before, miss."
"The Chenzhi Mountain that I heard about in the martial world rumors looks exactly like that. Don't talk to me now, let me be quiet, I just want to be alone."
I half-heartedly replied, walked to the side, squatted down, clutching my stomach, feeling like all my internal organs were aching.
My Chenzhi Mountain, arranged for so many years, the Chenzhi Mountain that looks so terrifying in the distance, your fierce and evil appearance, your infamous reputation, just your name alone can intimidate the power of the orthodox and famous families, and it has all been destroyed like that!
Mo Qing! Li Chenlan! You two! I can't coexist with you!
I want you! Come to the real hell and apologize to me!
Then I was carried back to Xiyue Peak. I sat in my small courtyard, didn't feel like sleeping all night, and was focused on how to kill Mo Qing.
Until dawn broke, the morning light shone over the highest peak in front of Xiyue Peak and into my small courtyard. Suddenly, I felt a wave of exhaustion all over my body, and then in the next moment...
I was flung out of this body again.
Again!
Again!
I floated outside the bed, looking at Zhiyan's body suddenly collapsing on the bed, feeling a sense of collapse! I didn't sleep this time! Why did this happen so suddenly!
And that body, collapsing like last time, with a whimper, woke up, and just like last time, after staring blankly, Zhiyan widened her eyes, gasped, "You... my body, returned again?"
"I know your body has returned, no need to be so surprised every time, let's talk about something useful." I floated to the bed, sat in front of her, knocked on the bed, although I didn't knock on anything, I had to pretend to make her focus, "How did you, as a ghost, travel dozens of miles to this place? Didn't we agree on the deal yesterday, what's your intent?"
Zhiyan also looked astonished, "I... I didn't! How could this happen... yesterday, after I saw you leave, I floated slowly and couldn't catch up, so I went back on my own, I didn't do anything... why..."
At her words, I pondered quietly, rubbing my chin.
I carefully considered the several times since meeting Zhiyan when the possession occurred. The first time it was successful at night, then the next day I was flung out, the second time it was successful at night, and then I was flung out again during the day.
Could it be that her body can only be possessed by me at night, and when there is sufficient sunlight during the day, she can... return to life on her own?
I frowned, "We need to solve this."
"How to solve it... solve what..."
"Look there." I floated to the window and pointed outside, in the area illuminated by the morning light, there was a mountain peak like a blade, "That's the Thousand Edge Cliff, there is a hidden book pavilion on it. Inside are countless scriptures, and there are many records of supernatural events. Go there and look through the books, maybe you can find a way for this body not to push me out during the day."
"Can I go?"
"Of course not. There are many confidential documents there that require the permission of the sect leader to enter and consult. Otherwise, why build it on a steep cliff? Just give one book to each person for reading and learning."
"So?"
"So, you go and fawn over, flatter, and seduce Li Chenlan, make him agree to let you into the book pavilion."
"... " Zhiyan stepped back, holding onto her chest, "I won't."
I squinted my eyes: "You don't want revenge?"
Zhiyan frowned: "I... I tremble when I see him. His cold aura is terrifying. I'm too scared to go."
It's strange. Moqing's punishments are not so harsh anymore. He dismantled the array in front of the main mountain, removed the whipping platform, and chopped down the hanging pillar. According to worldly standards, he has created a more approachable Wanlumen. But considering the behavior of those people yesterday, and the timid appearance of Zhiyan today, why is everyone still so afraid of him?
They haven't had much contact with him. In my eyes, he's still the silent and reserved strange clown. Occasionally, there's a glimmer in his eyes when he looks at me, hiding a hint of timidity... Even though he hasn't looked at me with that kind of gaze again, he's at most an average-looking young man. What's there to be afraid of?
"Why don't you go then?" Zhiyan glanced at me and started plotting for herself, "No one will notice you anyway. Just float over there on your own, you don't need the approval of the leader."
"I'm a soul, not only am I slow, but I also need to stay grounded. Do you know what staying grounded means?" Zhiyan shook her head, and I said, "When you turn into a ghost next time, try floating three feet off the ground and see if you can go even higher."
"Can only fly up to three feet..." Zhiyan frowned, "How come you ghosts are nothing like the legends..."
I rolled my eyes at her and sarcastically said, "I'll be taking my sweet time floating around, at least twenty days, and then another twenty days on the way back. Will your body be intact on the Playful Moon Peak forty days later?"
She fell silent, her face turning bitter again.
In a moment, I had a plan in mind. The situation has changed now, so I need to be prepared on both fronts. If I go to the library, the issue of my body being separated from my soul is still unresolved. With Moqing now holding such a deep grudge against me, I can't just let it go. So, I need to strengthen my own power. Relying on myself is the only truth.
Yes, I need to get some equipment from the Ghost Market.
I thought to myself, the last time I went to the Ghost Market, I saw that there were pills for sale that could supposedly make you float as fast as a person. Having that would certainly be convenient even without a body. I also need to get some sun protection pills, which can supposedly treat the sun like the moon. I should also see if there are any other items...
But then... I don't have any money in the underworld.
I turned my gaze to Zhiyan, "Good sister."
"Huh?"
"If you don't want to go and ask Lichen Lan, that's okay. We're good with each other, I won't force you. When I possess your body later in the evening, I'll go talk to him."
Zhiyan's eyes lit up, grateful, "Okay, you're really a good person."
"I know, right? I think so too. Now, I have something I need you to do for me."
"What?"
"Burn some paper for me."
Zhiyan went to buy spirit money and came back. I had instructed her to buy all the spirit money in Shunan Town, so when she came back, the shop assistants had filled two carts with spirit money.
Under the gaze of all the demon cultivators on Playful Moon Peak, she had the two shop assistants pull the carts into a secluded area in the woods.
The trees in the forest were dense, blocking out any sunlight. I sat under a tree, reclining, and directed her, "First light the candles, then the incense. Mention my name, Chen Jishanlu Zhaoyao. Don't burn it for someone else. Hey, dig a hole first, clear away any debris, be fire-conscious. What, are you planning to burn Chen Jishanlu down?"
Zhiyan was dragged around by me, and finally got angry, throwing the candle in her hand in front of me, saying, "You burn it yourself!"
I crossed my legs, not getting mad. "Young people need to learn to endure hardships." I glanced at the candle on the ground. She stared angrily at me for a while, but as a child from a noble family, she begrudgingly picked up the things and obediently went to dig a hole to burn the paper money.
I lay beside her and suddenly noticed something missing from her waist. I casually asked her, "Where's your jade pendant?"
"It was pawned," she replied calmly.
I raised an eyebrow, "The day you arrived, you were wearing expensive clothes, probably brought up as a lady from a noble family. Now, when you go out, you don't even have money to buy paper money?"
She pursed her lips for a moment, then glared at me, "You used to be such a powerful demon, but now that you're dead, not even anyone to burn money for you."
"Pft, so naive," I chuckled coldly, "All I ever wanted was to make these people scared to even come to my grave!"
But as soon as I finished speaking, I felt an unusual gust of wind from behind the trees. I immediately looked and saw a figure walking out from the shadows of the woods.
"Who are you talking to?"
After hearing this voice, Zhiyan turned around and saw a man in a dark robe, which almost made her sit into the burning paper money fire pit in fear, "L... Li..."
Seeing her reaction, Moqing's brow furrowed slightly.
As soon as I saw, I quickly got up, this was bad. I haven't had a chance to straighten things out with Zhiyan about the lie we told Moqing yesterday. I couldn't afford to show any flaws here, "Stay calm, don't panic, just say you were talking to yourself."
As soon as I spoke, Zhiyan steadied herself, quickly knelt in front of Moqing, "I... was talking to myself."
Very obediently kneeling... she really was a disciple from a noble family!
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